Drive cable for a seating assembly

ABSTRACT

A vehicle includes a seating assembly coupled to a rail system that defines a track. A drive cable is configured to selectively engage with the seating assembly such that the seating assembly is translated along the rail system. A cable drive motor is configured to impart motion to the drive cable. One or more pulleys are positioned along the track.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to a seating assembly. Morespecifically, the present disclosure relates to a drive cable for aseating assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicles are often provided with seating assemblies that can be adjustedfor occupant comfort. Some seating assemblies in vehicles are capable oftranslation in fore-aft or side-to-side directions. However, there is aneed for reconfigurable seating assemblies in vehicles that are capableof translation to various locations within a cabin of the vehicle.Additionally, there is a need for a translation system that can effectmovement of the seating assemblies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicleincludes a seating assembly coupled to a rail system that defines atrack. A drive cable is configured to selectively engage with theseating assembly such that the seating assembly is translated along therail system. A cable drive motor is configured to impart motion to thedrive cable.

Embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure can includeany one or a combination of the following features:

-   -   the rail system includes an inner rail and an outer rail;    -   the rail system includes a load-and-unload track;    -   the seating assembly initially couples to the drive cable as the        seating assembly transitions from the load-and-unload track to        the inner and outer rails of the rail system;    -   the drive cable is generally associated with the outer rail of        the rail system;    -   the vehicle further includes one or more pulleys positioned at        directional transition points along the track; and    -   the vehicle further includes drive cable guides positioned        proximal to the one or more pulleys to guide the drive cable        from the track to the pulley and from the pulley back to the        track.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a seatingassembly includes an anchor having a post that surrounds a locking pin.A first spring is positioned proximate an upper head of the post and isconfigured to aid in actuating the locking pin. A second spring ispositioned between a lower head of the post and a shoulder of thelocking pin. A drive cable is positioned radially outward of the secondspring and between the lower head and the shoulder.

Embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure can includeany one or a combination of the following features:

-   -   the anchor is coupled to a rail system that defines a track;    -   the drive cable is configured to selectively engage with the        seating assembly such that the seating assembly is translated        along the rail system;    -   the drive cable engages with the seating assembly when the        shoulder of the locking pin compresses the second spring and        sandwiches the drive cable between the lower head of the post        and the shoulder of the locking pin;    -   the rail system includes a cable drive motor configured to        impart motion to the drive cable and one or more pulleys        positioned along the track;    -   the rail system includes an inner rail and an outer rail; and    -   the drive cable is generally associated with the outer rail of        the rail system.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a seatingassembly includes an anchor having a post that surrounds a locking pin.The anchor engages with a rail system. A first spring is positionedproximate an upper head of the post and is configured to aid inactuating the locking pin. A second spring is positioned between a lowerhead of the post and a shoulder of the locking pin. A drive cable ispositioned radially outward of the second spring. The second spring iscompressed by a raising of the locking pin and the drive cable issandwiched between the lower head and the shoulder such that the seatingassembly is translated along the rail system.

Embodiments of the third aspect of the present disclosure can includeany one or a combination of the following features:

-   -   the rail system defines a track;    -   the rail system includes a cable drive motor configured to        impart motion to the drive cable and one or more pulleys        positioned along the track;    -   the one or more pulleys are positioned at directional transition        points along the track;    -   the seating assembly further includes drive cable guides        positioned proximal to the one or more pulleys to guide the        drive cable from the track to the pulley and from the pulley        back to the track; and    -   the drive cable is generally associated with an outer rail of        the rail system.

These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present disclosurewill be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art uponstudying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a cabin of a vehicle illustrating a rail systemand seating assemblies, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a cabin of a vehicle illustrating the railsystem and seating assemblies, according to another embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the rail system illustrating movement of theseating assemblies along the rail system, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the rail system illustrating movement of theseating assemblies along the rail system, according to anotherembodiment;

FIG. 5 is a top view of a section of the rail system illustrating one ofthe seating assemblies traversing the rail system through a corner,according to one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is top perspective view of the corner of the rail system havingan anchor coupled thereto, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the anchors engaged with the rail systemillustrating curved sides of the anchors, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of a rounded corner of the rail systemillustrating a trapezoidal seat base, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the anchors coupled to the rail system, takenalong line IX-IX of FIG. 8, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a side view of a wheel of the seating assembly, according toone embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a side perspective view of the seating assembly with apartial cross-sectional view of the anchor, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the anchor depicted in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the rail system and the anchor,taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. 9, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the rail system and the anchor,taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. 9, according to another embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the rail system and the anchor,taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. 9, according to a further embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the rail system and the anchor,taken along line XVI-XVI of FIG. 9, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the rail system, taken along lineXVI-XVI of FIG. 9, illustrating a bridge of a floor covering in alowered position;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the rail system and the anchor,taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. 9, illustrating a locking pin in alowered position and a drive cable, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the rail system and the anchor,taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. 9, illustrating the locking pin in araised position and the drive cable, according to another embodiment;and

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the rail system and the anchor,taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. 9, illustrating a data cable,according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,”“left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivativesthereof shall relate to the concepts as oriented in FIG. 1. However, itis to be understood that the concepts may assume various alternativeorientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It isalso to be understood that the specific devices and processesillustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the followingspecification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive conceptsdefined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and otherphysical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed hereinare not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly stateotherwise.

The present illustrated embodiments reside primarily in combinations ofmethod steps and apparatus components related to a seating assembly.Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have beenrepresented, where appropriate, by conventional symbols in the drawings,showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understandingthe embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure thedisclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.Further, like numerals in the description and drawings represent likeelements.

As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or moreitems, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself,or any combination of two or more of the listed items, can be employed.For example, if a composition is described as containing components A,B, and/or C, the composition can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; Aand B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; orA, B, and C in combination.

In this document, relational terms, such as first and second, top andbottom, and the like, are used solely to distinguish one entity oraction from another entity or action, without necessarily requiring orimplying any actual such relationship or order between such entities oractions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variationthereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that aprocess, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elementsdoes not include only those elements but may include other elements notexpressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, orapparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a” does not, withoutmore constraints, preclude the existence of additional identicalelements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprisesthe element.

Referring to FIGS. 1-20, a vehicle 30 has a cabin 34 that includes arail system 38 coupled to a floor pan 42 and a floor covering 46 thatincludes a bridge 50. The vehicle 30 further includes one or moreanchors 54 that couple a seating assembly 58 to the rail system 38 andare configured to displace the bridge 50 as the anchors traverse therail system 38.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle 30 may be a wheeled motorvehicle provided with a plurality of wheel and tire assemblies 62 andone or more access doors 66. For example, there may be four wheel andtire assemblies 62 with one wheel and tire assembly 62 positionedapproximately at each corner of the vehicle 30. The access doors 66 maybe positioned on one or more sides 70 of the vehicle 30. The accessdoors 66 may additionally or alternatively be positioned on a front 74of the vehicle 30 and/or a back 78 of the vehicle 30. According to someembodiments, the vehicle 30 may be an autonomous vehicle (FIG. 1). Inalternative embodiments, the vehicle 30 may be controlled by an operatoror driver (FIG. 2). The rail system 38 may define a track within a cabin34 of the vehicle 30. The rail system 38 may include an inner track 82and an outer track 86. In some embodiments, the rail system 38 mayfurther include a load-and-unload track 90. The load-and-unload track 90may extend between the sides 70 of the vehicle 30 and/or between thefront 74 and back 78 of the vehicle 30. The load-and-unload track 90 mayinclude an open end 94 that facilitates coupling of the seating assembly58 to the rail system 38. In embodiments that do not include theload-and-unload track 90, the seating assembly 58 may be directlycoupled to at least one of the inner track 82 and the outer track 86without utilizing the open end 94 of the rail system 38.

Referring further to FIGS. 1 and 2, the seating assembly 58 includes acomfort structure 98 and a seat base 102. The seat base 102 operablycouples the seating assembly 58 to the rail system 38. The seat base 102may be operably coupled to the comfort structure 98 by a pivot mechanism106. The seating assembly 58 may include armrests 110. An occupant 114of the seating assembly 58 may pivot the seating assembly 58 about avertical axis, as facilitated by the pivot mechanism 106, such that theoccupant 114 and their feet 118 are able to face any direction withinthe cabin 34 of the vehicle 30 that they desire. The pivot mechanism 106enables the seating assembly 58 to be placed in a rotational positiondesired by the occupant 114 regardless of a translational position ofthe seating assembly 58 on the rail system 38. The rail system 38 mayadditionally accept furniture and/or items that may be useful or desiredby occupants 114 of the cabin 34. For example, a table 122 may operablycouple with the rail system 38 in a similar manner to that of theseating assembly 58. The table 122 may traverse various locations and/orpositions along the rail system 38. The table may rotate about avertical axis, move laterally, move longitudinally, and/or assumevarious pitch angles relative to the floor pan 42 of the vehicle 30. Insome embodiments, the table 122 may be provided by the rear surface ofthe seating assembly 58 when the seating assembly 58 is in a foldedposition. The cabin 34 of the vehicle 30 may be provided with a privacywall 124 that separates the driver or operator from the passenger areaof the vehicle 30.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the rail system 38 includes the inner track82 and the outer track 86. In some embodiments, the rail system 38further includes the load-and-unload track 90 and the open end 94. Theload-and-unload track 90 may extend from one side of the rail system 38,as shown here. Alternatively, the load-and-unload track 90 may extendfrom one side of the rail system 38 to an opposite side of the vehicle30 (FIG. 1) or the rail system 38 may intersect the load-and-unloadtrack 90 as the load-and-unload track 90 traverses the vehicle 30 fromone side to another. The rail system 38 may be equipped with a drivecable 126. In some embodiments, the drive cable 126 is generallyassociated with the outer track 86 of the rail system 38. The drivecable 126 may engage with one or more pulleys 130 that are positioned atvarious locations around the rail system 38. In some embodiments, thepulleys 130 may be positioned at directional transition points along therail system 38. For example, the pulleys 130 may be positioned atcorners of the rail system 38, at the junction of the load-and-unloadtrack 90 with the rail system 38, and/or can be associated withpositions on the rail system 38 where the seating assembly 58 changesdirections as the seating assembly 58 is traversing the track of therail system 38.

Referring again to FIGS. 3 and 4, the drive cable 126 may be operablycoupled to a motor 134 and a control module 138. The drive cable 126 maybe routed around a tensioner, such as a clockwise tensioner or acounterclockwise tensioner that aids in the engagement between the drivecable 126 and the pulleys 130. The drive cable 126 may additionally berouted through one or more travel guides 140 that aid in directing thedrive cable 126 onto and off of the rail system 38 so that the drivecable 126 can engage with the pulleys 130. The travel guides 140 may aidin preventing the drive cable 126 from decoupling from the rail system38. The travel guides 140 may provide an elevation change to the drivecable 126 that may be beneficial, for example, at the junction of theload-and-unload track 90 and the remainder of the rail system 38. Thedrive cable 126 may be a continuous loop of material. The drive cable126 may be routed in a manner that refrains from having the drive cable126 cross a center of the load-and-unload track 90. By refraining fromallowing the drive cable 126 to cross the center of the load-and-unloadtrack 90, as the seating assembly 58 is loaded onto the rail system 38the seating assembly 58 may avoid premature engagement with the drivecable 126. For example, as the seating assembly 58 is loaded onto therail system 38 (e.g., the load-and-unload track 90) the drive cable 126may be moved to one side of the load-and-unload track 90 therebyallowing the seating assembly 58 to be loaded on to the rail system 38and cross above the drive cable 126. In the depicted embodiments, therail system 38 is generally rectangular, includes four corners, and isequipped with the load-and-unload track 90. Each of the four corners ofthe rail system 38 is equipped with one of the pulleys 130 positionedoutward of the outer track 86. Additionally, the pulleys 130 arepositioned at the junction between the outer track 86 and theload-and-unload track 90. The rail system 38 may be further equippedwith additional pulleys 130 that are positioned on the inner track 82and generally correspond with the pulleys 130 that are positioned at thejunction of the outer track 86 and the load-and-unload track 90. By sopositioning the pulleys 130, the seating assembly 58 may traverse therail system 38 smoothly by selectively engaging the drive cable 126while the control module 138 engages the motor 134 to be activated.

Referring further to FIGS. 3 and 4, the seating assembly 58 may beequipped with one or more of the anchors 54. The anchors 54 may bepositioned to generally correspond with each of four corners of theseating assembly 58. In general, it may be beneficial that the seatingassembly 58 is equipped with at least one of the anchors 54 thatoperably couples to each of the inner track 82 and the outer track 86.It may be preferable for the seating assembly 58 to be equipped with aplurality of anchors 54 that engage with each of the inner track 82 andthe outer track 86 (e.g., two anchors 54 for each of the inner track 82and the outer track 86 such that the seating assembly 58 is equippedwith four of the anchors 54). The varied shading of the anchors 54indicates an engaged state or a disengaged state of the anchor 54 to thedrive cable 126, according to one embodiment. The anchors 54 are shownwith different levels of shading that communicate whether the anchor 54is engaged or disengaged from the rail system 38 and the drive cable126. The anchors 54 that are unshaded represent anchors 54 that areengaged with the rail system 38, locked in place (e.g., by a lockingpin), and disengaged from the drive cable 126. The anchors 54 that arefully shaded represent anchors 54 that are engaged with the rail system38, unlocked from the rail system 38, and engaged to the drive cable126.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the seating assembly 58 is shown operablycoupled to the rail system 38 by the anchors 54. More specifically, theseating assembly 58 is shown in positions A-G and depicts an example ofhow the seating assembly 58 may traverse the rail system 38 byselectively engaging the anchors 54 with the drive cable 126. Theanchors 54 are shown with different levels of shading that communicatewhether the anchor 54 is engaged or disengaged from the rail system 38and the drive cable 126. The anchors 54 that are unshaded, such as thosein position A and G, represent anchors 54 that are engaged with the railsystem 38, locked in place (e.g., by a locking pin), and disengaged fromthe drive cable 126. The anchors 54 that are partially shaded withvertical lines represent anchors 54 that are engaged with the railsystem 38, are unlocked from the rail system 38 (e.g., by raising thelocking pin), and are disengaged from the drive cable 126. The anchors54 that are fully shaded, such as the anchor 54 at the upper right ofthe seating assembly 58 in position B, represent anchors 54 that areengaged with the rail system 38, unlocked from the rail system 38, andengaged to the drive cable 126. The pulleys 130 have been omitted fromFIG. 5; however the pulleys 130 are utilized in the embodiment depictedin a manner similar to that discussed in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 5 depictsmovement of the seating assembly 58 along the rail system 38 and a rightangle transition of the seating assembly 58 from a first portion of therail system 38 to a second portion of the rail system 38 throughselective engagement of the anchors 54 with the rail system 38 and thedrive cable 126.

Referring again to FIG. 5, position A of the seating assembly 58presents a stationary position of the seating assembly 58 where theseating assembly 58 is secured to the rail system 38 by the locking pinsuch that the seating assembly 58 does not inadvertently orunintentionally traverse the rail system 38 (e.g., during vehiclemaneuvers, collision events, etc.). The seating assembly 58 in positionA is generally ready to receive an occupant. The seating assembly 58 ofposition D has unlocked each of the anchors 54 from the rail system 38and engaged one of the anchors 54 to the drive cable 126 such that theseating assembly 58 may begin to traverse the rail system 38. Theseating assembly 58 may traverse the rail system 38 while occupied orunoccupied; however it may be beneficial to limit the traversal of theseating assembly 58 on the rail system 38 to when the seating assembly58 is unoccupied in an effort to reduce the risk of injury to anoccupant. In the depicted embodiment, position B engages the anchor 54that is positioned at an upper right corner of the seating assembly 58to the drive cable 126 and initiates traversal of the rail system 38. Byengaging the anchors 54 as depicted in position B, the potential formovement impairments of the seating assembly 58 may be decreased. Forexample, if position B engaged the anchor 54 positioned at the upperleft of the seating assembly 58 to the drive cable 126, then a situationmay arise that as the seating assembly 58 approaches the pulleys 130that are positioned at the corners of the rail system 38, and then abinding or movement impairment may occur as the drive cable engagedanchor 54 attempts to follow the path of the drive cable 126 around thepulley 130 and meets resistance from the structure of the rail system38, the travel guides 140 (FIG. 4), and/or the pulleys 130.

Referring further to FIG. 5, as the seating assembly 58 reaches a corner142 of the rail system 38, the engagement configuration of the anchors54 transitions to that shown in position C. The seating assembly 58 ofposition C provides the anchors 54 as unlocked from the rail system 38with one of the anchors 54 engaged with the drive cable 126. In thedepicted embodiment, the seating assembly 58 arrives in the corner 142of the rail system 38 and comes to at least a momentary stop. Once theseating assembly 58 has reached the corner 142, the engagementconfiguration of the anchors 54 may be adjusted if movement of theseating assembly 58 along the second portion of the rail system 38 isdesired. At position D, the seating assembly 58 is transitioning from alocked configuration to an in-motion configuration of the anchors 54.For example, an occupant may have been sitting in the seating assembly58 and desired to sit in the corner of the rail system 38; however a newconfiguration of the cabin 34 of the vehicle 30 is desired. As theseating assembly 58 transitions from the first portion of the railsystem 38 to the second portion, the anchors 54 may assume the lockedposition to the rail system 38 while being disengaged from the drivecable 126 to prevent unintentional or unintended free movement of theseating assembly 58 along the rail system 38 (e.g., while the vehicle isin motion).

Referring still further to FIG. 5, in position E, the seating assembly58 prepares to exit the corner 142 of the rail system 38 by providingthree of the anchors 54 as unlocked from the rail system 38 anddisengaged from the drive cable 126 while the remaining anchor 54 isdisengaged from the rail system 38 and engaged with the drive cable 126.Once the anchor 54 engages with the drive cable 126 in position E, thenthe seating assembly 58 begins to traverse the second portion of therail system 38 as shown in position F. Position G may be a final desiredposition of an occupant, accordingly the anchors 54 are each placed inthe locked position to the rail system 38 and are disengaged from thedrive cable 126. While positions A-G have been described as occurring ina stepwise fashion, it is contemplated that the positions may betraversed in a continuous fashion. One of skill in the art willrecognize that variations in the sequence described above may beexecuted without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Thedescribed and depicted sequence of positions A-G shows one embodiment ofhow the seating assembly 58 may traverse the corner 142 of the railsystem 38. Alternative embodiments of the rail system 38, the anchors54, and/or the seating assembly 58 are possible without departing fromthe concepts disclosed herein.

Referring to FIG. 6, a junction of the rail system 38, such as thecorner 142, is shown with the anchor 54 operably coupled with the railsystem 38. A junction plate 146 may be positioned below the rail system38. The junction plate 146 may define floor-coupling apertures 150 thatare utilized to couple the junction plate 146 to the floor pan 42 (FIG.9) or another support structure. The junction plate 146 may be operablycoupled to the rail system 38 or may be integrally formed with the railsystem 38. In some embodiments, the rail system 38 may be integrallyformed with the floor pan 42. The rail system 38 is equipped with aplurality of locking pin apertures 154 that are configured to receive alocking pin 158 of the anchor 54. The locking pin 158 may pass through afoot 162 of the anchor 54 to engage with the locking pin apertures 154.The rail system 38 may define a channel 166. The channel 166 may beconfigured to resemble an inverted T. The foot 162 of the anchor 54 maygenerally correspond or be associated with a cross member of theinverted T channel 166 and the locking pin 158 may generally correspondwith a vertical leg of the inverted T channel 166.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the anchor 54 may include one or more curvedsides 170. The curved sides 170 may be beneficial in embodiments of therail system 38 that do not employ orthogonal or generally square trackarrangements. For example, in some embodiments the rail system 38 maytransition from the first portion to the second portion of the railsystem 38 through a generally arcuate turn, such as that shown anddiscussed below in FIG. 8. The curved sides 170 provide additionalclearance between walls 174 of the rail system 38, particularly when theanchors 54 are navigating a turn or corner in the rail system 38. Alength 178 of the anchor 54 may generally correspond with the crossmember of the inverted T channel 166. A width 182 of the anchor 54 maygenerally correspond with a distance between the walls 174 of the railsystem 38. More specifically, the width 182 of the anchor 54, asmeasured from the widest point of the anchor 54, may generallycorrespond with the distance between the walls 174 of the rail system38.

Referring to FIG. 8, a schematic view of one embodiment of the railsystem 38 is shown with a rounded corner. The seating assembly 58 isshown transitioning from the first portion to the second portion of therail system 38 through the rounded corner. The rounded corner of therail system 38 has an inner radius 186 that is associated with the innertrack 82 and an outer radius 190 that is associated with the outer track86. In the depicted embodiment, the seat base 102 of the seatingassembly 58 may generally resemble a trapezoidal geometry. A distancebetween the anchors 54 that are associated with the inner track 82 maybe less than a distance between the anchors 54 that are associated withthe outer track 86 of the rail system 38. The anchors 54 are configuredto engage with the rail system 38 such that sticking or binding of theanchor 54 within the rail system 38 is prevented as the seating assembly58 traverses the track. The foot 162 (FIG. 6) may be generallyrectangular and sized to avoid sticking or binding within the railsystem 38. Alternatively, the foot 162 of the anchor 54 may be providedwith a geometry that includes rounded edges and/or sides, such as thecurved sides 170 depicted in FIG. 7, or the foot 162 may have agenerally circular or elliptical cross-section. In general, it may bebeneficial to avoid sharp edges on the foot 162 of the anchor 54 suchthat transitioning between the first portion, the second portion, andother portions of the rail system 38 may be accomplished with adecreased probability of sticking, binding, and/or general misalignmentof the anchor 54.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a side of the seating assembly 58 is shownaccording to one embodiment. The rail system 38 is present in thedepicted embodiment; however the rail system 38 has been omitted fromFIG. 9 to show further details of the anchors 54. The anchors 54 areoperably coupled with the seat base 102 of the seating assembly 58 andextend downward from the seat base 102. The anchors 58 may include awheel 194 that is configured to interact with the floor covering 46 andaid in smooth movement of the seating assembly 58 as the seatingassembly 58 traverses various positions along the rail system 38. Thefoot 162 of the anchor 54 is positioned proximate a lower end of theanchor 54. The locking pin 158 extends through the anchor 54 along avertical axis. The locking pin 158 extends below the anchor 54 andengages with the locking pin apertures 154 of the rail system 38. Therail system 38 and/or the floor pan 42 may include a locking pin plate198. The locking pin plate 198 may be made from folded steel, accordingto one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 10, the wheel 194 of the anchor 54 may be operablycoupled to a load frame 202 by a wheel support arm 206. In someembodiments, the wheel support arm 206 is pivotably coupled to the loadframe 202 at a suspension pivot 210. The load frame 202 may be operablycoupled to the seat base 102 (FIG. 9) or integrally formed with the seatbase 102. A downward force 214 is generally applied to the wheel supportarm 206, for example by the weight of the seating assembly 58 and/or theoccupant 114 (FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the downward force 214 mayresult in a situation where the wheel 194 may begin to dig into thefloor covering 46 such that the seating assembly 58 is more difficult tomove about the cabin 34 along the rail system 38. A resilient member 218may be provided between the load frame 202 and either the anchor 54 orthe wheel 194. The resilient member 218 may provide a degree ofsuspension to the wheel 194 to resist the downward force 214. Due to thewheel support arm 206 being pivotably coupled to the load frame 202 atthe suspension pivot 210, the downward force 214 may additionally resultin a compressive force 222 that compresses the resilient member 218. Asa result, the resilient member 218 provides an opposing force to thecompressive force 222 that may aid in retaining suspension of the wheel194.

Referring again to FIG. 10, the wheel 194 may carry the entirety of theweight of the seating assembly 58 such that the weight is transferred tothe floor covering 46, according to some embodiments. The resilientmember 218 may generate a lateral force against a side of the anchor 54that is transferred into the load frame 202 in an equal-and-oppositemanner. In response to the lateral force, the downward force 214 may beapplied and result in a lifting of the load frame 202 and/or the anchor54 in a vertical direction. The resilient member 218 may be configuredwith a strength or spring constant that is sufficient to lift the weightof the seating assembly 58 such that the entirety of the weight of theseating assembly 58 is supported on the wheel 194. The resilient member218 may be configured to lift the weight of the seating assembly 58 onlywhen the seating assembly 58 is unoccupied.

Referring further to FIG. 10, the seating assembly 58 may furtherinclude an electrical conductor 226 that is configured to engage with aconductor 230 such that electrical power is provided to the seatingassembly 58. The conductor 230 may be positioned between the rail system38 and the floor covering 46. The electrical conductor 226 may extendfrom at least one of the anchors 54 to engage with the conductor 230 asthe seating assembly 58 traverses the rail system 38. In someembodiments, the electrical conductor 226 extends from the anchor 54 andtrails the wheel 194 to avoid damage to the electrical conductor 226and/or the conductor 230. The electrical conductor 226 may trail theanchor 54 a distance 234 away from where the wheel 194 contacts thefloor covering 46 of at least about 5 mm, at least about 10 mm, at leastabout 15 mm, at least about 20 mm, less than about 25 mm, less thanabout 30 mm, less than about 35 mm, less than about 40 mm, and/orcombinations and ranges thereof including intermediate values.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, the seating assembly 58 may rotateabout a vertical axis as a result of the coupling of the pivot mechanism106 to the comfort structure 98. The comfort structure 98 may include aseatback 238 pivotably coupled to a seat 242. The pivot mechanism 106may be positioned between the seat 242 and the seat base 102. The seatbase 102 of the seating assembly 58 may include a trim portion 246 thatis positioned to generally correspond with a width 250 of the railsystem 38, as best seen in FIG. 14. The trim portion 246 preferablyencloses the anchor 54 such that a user is presented with a smooth andaesthetically pleasing seating assembly 58. Additionally, by enclosingthe anchors 54 with the trim portion 246, the anchors 54 and rail system38 may be protected from debris. In embodiments that utilize the wheel194, such as those shown in FIGS. 9, 10, and embodiments that arediscussed below, the trim portion 246 may additionally enclose the wheel194 of the anchor 54. In the depicted embodiment, the wheel 194 is notutilized. A plow may be positioned below the floor covering 46 and abovethe rail system 38 that is operably coupled to an advancing edge of theanchor 54 such that the floor covering 46 and/or the bridge 50 israised. The trim portion 246 may extend about a circumference of theseat base 102 and ensure that the floor covering 46 and/or the bridge 50are not raised prematurely while also ensuring the closure of the floorcovering 46 and/or bridge 50 once the anchors 54 have passed.Additionally or alternatively, the bridge 50 may be made of a materialthat is hard and resilient such that once the anchors 54 pass, therestorative force stored in the structure of the bridge 50 forces thebridge 50 to lower over the rail system 38. The bridge 50 is shown in araised position. The bridge 50 of the floor covering 46 may be operablycoupled to the rail system 38. The bridge 50 generally corresponds withthe channel 166 that is defined by the vertical leg of the inverted Tchannel 166 in the rail system 38. The bridge 50 includes a rigid arm258 that extends over the channel 166 in the rail system 38 such thatthe floor covering 46 is prevented from entering the channel 166 whenthe bridge 50 is in a lowered position (FIG. 17). The bridge 50 may beoperably coupled to a first side 262 of the rail system 38 by a bridgecoupling protrusion 266. The conductor 230 may be positioned between therail system 38 and the floor covering 46 on a second side 270 of therail system 38. The first and second sides 262, 270 of the rail system38 may be separated by the channel 166 such that the bridge 50 and theconductor 230 are positioned on either side of the channel 166.

Referring again to FIGS. 11 and 12, the conductor 230 may furtherinclude a housing 274 that is equipped with a living hinge 278. Theelectrical conductor 226 may separate the housing 274 such that thehousing 274 opens about the living hinge 278 to allow an electricalconnection between the conductor 230 and the electrical conductor 226,thereby providing the seating assembly 58 with electrical power. Thehousing 274 may be an elastomeric extrusion that is dirt resistant andincludes a rail coupling tab 282 that engages with the rail system 38.The anchor 54 may include a post 286 that is surrounded by a main body290. In some embodiments, the post 286 extends above and below the mainbody 290 and terminates in an upper head 294 and a lower head 298. Thelower head 298 may alternatively be referred to as the foot 162 of theanchor 54. The post 286 surrounds the locking pin 158. The locking pin158 can be actuated within the post 286 such that the locking pin 158may be selectively engaged and disengaged with the locking pin apertures154 of the rail system 38. The locking pin apertures 154 mayalternatively be referred to as positioning apertures. The anchor 54 maybe equipped with a first spring 302 that is positioned between the upperhead 294 and the main body 290. In some embodiments, the weight of theseating assembly 58 is transferred to the post 286 and/or cushioned bythe interaction of the first spring 302 and the upper head 294.Accordingly, the weight of the seating assembly 58 may be substantiallysupported by the post 286, which interacts with the low friction portion318. Additionally, the first spring 302 may act in an upward directionon an underside of the upper head 294 such that the main body 290 of theanchor 54 is lifted to suspend the lower head 298 within the rail system38. A benefit of the depicted embodiment over embodiments that utilizethe wheel 194 (e.g., FIG. 10) may be that the main body 290 is capableof immediately transitioning to traveling in a different direction at anintersection of the rail system 38, whereas the wheel 194 may have tocaster to a different orientation prior to changing directions. A secondspring 306 may be positioned at a lower region of the locking pin 158.The second spring 306 may be configured to bias the locking pin 158 in adownward direction, for example, to engage with one of the locking pinapertures 154. The second spring 306 may be positioned within the lowerhead 298 of the post 286. The locking pin 158 may further include ashoulder 310 that engages with an underside of the second spring 306. Anupper side of the second spring 306 may engage with the lower head 298of the post 286. The lower head 298 may define a recessed area in anunderside thereof that is configured to receive the second spring 306and the shoulder 310. At least a portion of the locking pin 158 extendsbelow the lower head 298 such that the locking pin 158 engages with thelocking pin apertures 154. The first spring 302 and the second spring306 may act in opposing directions relative to one another. Said anotherway, the restorative force of the first spring 302 may oppose therestorative force of the second spring 306.

Referring further to FIGS. 11 and 12, in some embodiments, the firstspring 302 provides a cushioning or dampening of sudden movements thatmay be caused by obstructions in a road the vehicle is traveling on. Forexample, the upper head 294 of the post 286 may be operably coupled to,or integrally formed with, the seat base 102 such that additionalcushioning is provided to the seating assembly 58. In such anembodiment, the locking pin 158 may be actuated by a manual lever or bya powered mechanism that is operably coupled to the locking pin 158. Theanchor 54 may be configured in a generally cylindrical fashion such thatthe anchor 54 may be rotated within the rail system 38. In someembodiments, the electrical conductor 226 that is operably coupled tothe anchor 54 is generally disc shaped and extends in a continuousfashion radially outward from a circumference of the anchor 54 such thatthe electrical connector 226 may engage with the conductor 230regardless of a rotational position of the anchor 54. The rail system 38may be operably coupled to the floor pan 42 by one or more fasteners314. The rail system 38 may include a low friction portion 318 thatextends from a top surface of the rail system 38 into the inverted Tchannel 166 such that an upper surface of the lower head 298, anexterior surface of the post 286, and an underside of the main body 290may contact the low friction portion 318 thereby reducing the work oreffort necessary to move the seating assembly 58 along the rail system38. The floor pan 42 and the floor covering 46 may be separated by afill layer 322. A thickness 326 of the fill layer 322 may generallycorrespond to a height of the rail system 38. The height of the railsystem 38 may be inclusive of the bridge 50 and the housing 274 of theconductor 230. The bridge 50 and the housing 274 of the conductor 230may have similar or equal thicknesses.

Referring to FIG. 13, the anchor 54 may utilize the first spring 302while omitting the second spring 306 (FIG. 12). Similar to the previousembodiment in FIG. 12, the first spring 302 may aid in actuation of thelocking pin 158 or may provide additional cushioning to the seatingassembly 58. The anchor 54 is configured to displace the bridge 50 asthe anchors 54 traverse the rail system 38. The bridge 50 may bedisplaced by the anchor 54 such that the bridge 50 pivots in an upwarddirection about a flexible section 330 to the raised position. Whilepivoted in the upward direction the bridge 50 may contact an interiorsurface of the trim portion 246 and/or an external surface of the mainbody 290 of the anchor 54. The first spring 302 may be positionedbetween the upper head 294 of the post 286 and an upper surface of themain body 290. The main body 290 of the anchor 54 may rest upon the lowfriction portion 318 of the rail system 38. Additionally, theconstruction of the anchor 54 may be such that the lower head 298 of thepost 286 is vertically offset from a lower surface of the channel 166.Accordingly, a majority of the weight of the seating assembly 58 may besupported by the main body 290 such that movement of the seatingassembly 58 along the rail system 38 is possible with substantially lesseffort than would be required if the lower head 298 supported themajority of the weight of the seating assembly 58 and the lower head 298contacted a bottom surface of the channel 166. Said another way, themajority of the weight of the seating assembly 58 is supported bycomponents that experience relatively low friction or resistance tomotion (e.g., rolling friction versus sliding friction, low frictionmaterial interactions, etc.).

Referring again to FIG. 13, the locking pin 158 may be actuated withinthe post 286 and/or the lower head 298 manually or by utilizing apowered mechanism such that the locking pin 158 selectively engages withthe locking pin apertures 154 as the seating assembly 58 traverses thevarious positions along the rail system 38. In the depicted embodiment,the conductor 230 is positioned on the rail system 38 to be radiallyinward of the trim portion 246. The trim portion 246 may be positionedabove the housing 274 of the conductor 230 such that increased positivecontact is maintained between the conductor 230 and the electricalconductor 226 as the seating assembly 58 traverses the rail system 38.The fill layer 322 is positioned between the floor covering 46 and thefloor pan 42. The floor pan 42 may be constructed of a hard and rigidmaterial, such as steel. The rail system 38 may be operably coupled tothe floor pan 42 by the fasteners 314. The fasteners 314 may be, but arenot limited to, weld nuts, bolts, rivets, or the rail system 38 may beintegrally formed with the floor pan 42. The rail system 38 may beconstructed from various materials. For example, in one embodiment therail system 38 may be constructed of a steel rail 334 that defines atleast a portion of the channel 166 and the steel rail 334 may bepositioned within an aluminum rail 338 that makes up a majority of theremainder of the rail system 38.

Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 15, the wheels 194 are operably coupled tothe trim portion 246 such that one of the wheels 194 is generallypositioned over the conductor 230 thereby providing a compressive forcethat may improve electrical contact between the electrical conductor 226and the conductor 230. The depicted embodiment omits the first spring302 and the second spring 306. The locking pin 158 is positioned withinthe post 286 and may be actuated between a raised position and a loweredposition. The electrical conductor 226 extends from an exterior surfaceof the post 286. As the electrical conductor 226 passes through theconductor 230, the housing 274 of the conductor 230 is separated andopens about the living hinge 278 thereby establishing an electricalconnection between the electrical conductor 226 and the conductor 230.In the depicted embodiment, the wheels 194 may support a majority of theweight of the seating assembly 58 while suspending the lower head 298 ofthe post 286 above the lower surface of the channel 166. Accordingly,the seating assembly 58 may be moved around the rail system 38 with lesseffort than if the lower head 298 rested upon the lower surface of thechannel 166. The locking pin 158 may be placed in the lowered positionwhen the anchor 54 is positioned above the locking pin aperture 154 andthe locking pin 158 is aligned with the locking pin aperture 154. Inembodiments that include the structure as shown and described in FIG.10, the weight of the seating assembly 58 may be transferred into thewheel 194 and ultimately into the floor covering 46 to prevent the lowerhead 298 from contacting the steel rail 334. In such embodiments, theanchor 54 is prevented from binding in the rail system 38 as the surfaceof the lower head 298 and the steel rail 334 may not be provided withthe low friction portion 318.

Referring to FIG. 16, the rail system 38 is shown operably coupled tothe floor pan 42 and having the anchor 54. According to variousembodiments of the present disclosure, the locking pin 158 may beactuated within the post 286 of the anchor 54. For example, the lockingpin 158 may be actuated in a vertical direction manually or by a poweredmechanism. The depicted embodiment illustrates one example of how thelocking pin 158 may be actuated and may be applicable to manual and/orpowered operation of the depicted mechanism. A lever 342 may engage withan underside of a platform 346 such that actuation of the lever 342 mayraise the locking pin 158 out of the locking pin aperture 154. Forexample, the lever 342 may have a generally sinusoidal shape such thatdownward actuation of the lever 342 at a first end 350 induces upwardmotion of the lever 342 at a second end 354, which is translated intovertical motion of the locking pin 158. The lever 342 may have a pivotpoint 358 located between the first end 350 and the second end 354. Forexample, the pivot point 358 may be generally located at a center of alength of the lever 342.

Referring now to FIG. 17, the rail system 38 is shown without an anchor54 and depicts the bridge 50 of the floor covering 46 in a lowered orrest position. The rigid arm 258 of the bridge 50 spans the openingdefined by the vertical leg of the channel 166 and contacts both thefirst side 262 and second side 270 of the rail system 38. By so coveringthe channel 166, the bridge 50 and floor covering 46 prevent debris,obstacles, and other items from entering the channel 166 that are notintended to be located within the channel 166. Additionally, a user ispresented with a substantially level and substantially continuoussurface of the floor covering 46 thereby eliminating tripping hazardsand presenting the user with an aesthetically pleasing cabin 34.Further, the positioning and composition of the rigid arm 258 are suchthat upon application of pressure to the floor covering 46 directlyabove the channel 166, the bridge 50 is supported by the rail system 38and prevented from entering the channel 166. The bridge 50 is preventedfrom entering the channel 166 as a result of an opposing force to theapplied pressure which is provided at contact points 362 between therail system 38 and the bridge 50.

Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19, the locking pin 158 is shown in thelowered position (FIG. 18) and a raised position (FIG. 19). The lockingpin 158 may also be placed in an intermediate position where the lockingpin 158 is disengaged from the locking pin aperture 154 but not yetengaged to the drive cable 126. The depicted embodiment employs thedrive cable 126. The drive cable 126 may be positioned between the lowerhead 298 of the post 286 and the shoulder 310 of the locking pin 158.The drive cable 126 may be positioned radially outward of the secondspring 306. The second spring 306 is positioned between the lower head298 and the shoulder 310 with the locking pin 158 passing through acenter of the second spring 306. When the locking pin 158 is in thelowered position, the seating assembly 58 is disengaged from the drivecable 126 and is locked to the rail system 38. Accordingly, when thelocking pin 158 is in the lowered position the seating assembly 58 isstationary on the rail system 38. As the locking pin 158 is actuated inan upward direction, the drive cable 126 becomes sandwiched between thelower head 298 and the shoulder 310. More specifically, the drive cable126 engages with the seating assembly 58 when the shoulder 310 of thelocking pin 158 compresses the second spring 306 and ultimatelysandwiches the drive cable 126 between the lower head 298 and theshoulder 310. Upon engagement of the seating assembly 58 to the drivecable 126 by way of the anchor 54, the seating assembly 58 may begin totraverse the rail system 38 since the action of engaging the drive cable126 simultaneously disengages the locking pin 158 from the locking pinaperture 154. The depicted embodiment may share some or all of thefeatures described herein for alternative embodiments of the variouscomponents depicted. For example, the electrical conductor 226 extendsradially outward from an external surface of the main body 290 of theanchor 54, the main body 290 surrounds the post 286, the fasteners 314couple the rail system 38 to the floor pan 42, the low friction portion318 is employed, the fill layer 322 fills space between the floorcovering 46 and the floor pan 42, and so on.

Referring now to FIG. 20, the seating assembly 58 may further include analcove 366 in at least one side of the lower head 298 of the anchor 54.The alcove 366 may receive a data cable 370 that is configured to sendand receive data relating to the positioning of the seating assembly 58.The alcove 366 may include one or more data readers 374 that areoperably coupled to a data path 378 of the seating assembly 58. The datapath 378 may be routed through the anchor 54 up to the seat base 102(FIG. 11) where the data path 378 may then branch out to various sensorsand controllers. Data relating to the configuration of the seatingassembly 58 may be transmitted to, and received from, the data cable 370by the data readers 374. Data received from the data cable 370 by theseating assembly 58 may include, but is not limited to, commandsrelating to a pitch angle of the seatback 238 relative to the seat 242,a rotational position of the pivot mechanism 106 (FIG. 11), heating orventilation information to provide a heated or cooled surface to theseating assembly 58, commands to prepare the seating assembly 58 fortranslation along the rail system 38, commands to execute a translationof the seating assembly 58 along the rail system 38, and the like. Datatransmitted from the seating assembly 58 to the data cable 370 mayinclude, but is not limited to, an occupied status of the seatingassembly 58, a current pitch angle of the seatback 238 relative to theseat 242, a position of the seating assembly 58 on the rail system 38, atemperature of the surface of the seating assembly 58, a currentrotational position of the pivot mechanism 106, general informationrelating to the configuration of various components on the seatingassembly 58, and the like. Data may be transferred to and from the datacable 370 by near field data transfer. By using near field datatransfer, contact conduction noise, wear of the data cable 370, and wearof the data readers 374 is mitigated or avoided entirely. The data cable370 may be configured to send and receive data from more than oneseating assembly 58 at a time thereby eliminating the use of multipledata cables 370 that may otherwise be required in designs that utilizeone cable per seating assembly. Accordingly, crossing and tanglingissues that may arise in multiple cable set ups are avoided,particularly when negotiating corners of the rail system 38. Further,large seating capacity vehicles may present packaging difficulties forsystems that utilize one data cable 370 per seating assembly 58, whichis an issue that the present disclosure does not encounter.

Vehicles 30 are often provided with seating assemblies that can beadjusted for occupant 114 comfort. Some seating assemblies in vehicles30 are capable of translation in fore-aft or side-to-side directions.However, conventional seating assemblies are typically not capable oftranslation to various locations within the cabin 34 of the vehicle 30.Components of the cabin 34 of the vehicle 30 disclosed herein, such asthe rail system 38, the seating assembly 58, the drive cable 126, andthe data cable 370 provide a user with a reconfigurable cabin 34. Theseating assemblies 58 and other components coupled to the rail system 38may be repositioned, reorganized, or reordered to assume variousconfigurations that are suitable for the user's desired purpose.

Modifications of the disclosure will occur to those skilled in the artand to those who make or use the concepts disclosed herein. Therefore,it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings anddescribed above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended tolimit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the followingclaims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law,including the doctrine of equivalents.

It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art thatconstruction of the described concepts, and other components, is notlimited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of theconcepts disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety ofmaterials, unless described otherwise herein.

For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of itsforms: couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining oftwo components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to oneanother. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature.Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical ormechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrallyformed as a single unitary body with one another or with the twocomponents. Such joining may be permanent in nature, or may be removableor releasable in nature, unless otherwise stated.

It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement ofthe elements of the disclosure, as shown in the exemplary embodiments,is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the presentinnovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, thoseskilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciatethat many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes,dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements,values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors,orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novelteachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example,elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multipleparts, or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, theoperation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, thelength or width of the structures and/or members or connector or otherelements of the system may be varied, and the nature or numeral ofadjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied. Itshould be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may beconstructed from any of a wide variety of materials that providesufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors,textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of the present innovations.Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be madein the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired andother exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of thepresent innovations.

It will be understood that any described processes, or steps withindescribed processes, may be combined with other disclosed processes orsteps to form structures within the scope of the present disclosure. Theexemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrativepurposes and are not to be construed as limiting.

It is also to be understood that variations and modifications can bemade on the aforementioned structures and methods without departing fromthe concepts of the present disclosure, and further, it is to beunderstood that such concepts are intended to be covered by thefollowing claims, unless these claims, by their language, expresslystate otherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle, comprising: a seating assembly coupledto a rail system that defines a track; a drive cable configured toselectively engage with the seating assembly such that the seatingassembly is translated along the rail system; and a cable drive motorconfigured to impart motion to the drive cable.
 2. The vehicle of claim1, wherein the rail system comprises: an inner rail; and an outer rail.3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the rail system comprises: aload-and-unload track.
 4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the seatingassembly initially couples to the drive cable as the seating assemblytransitions from the load-and-unload track to the inner and outer railsof the rail system.
 5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the drive cableis generally associated with the outer rail of the rail system.
 6. Thevehicle of claim 5, further comprising: one or more pulleys positionedat directional transition points along the track.
 7. The vehicle ofclaim 6, further comprising: drive cable guides positioned proximal tothe one or more pulleys to guide the drive cable from the track to thepulley and from the pulley back to the track.
 8. A seating assembly,comprising: an anchor having a post that surrounds a locking pin; afirst spring positioned proximate an upper head of the post andconfigured to aid in actuating the locking pin; a second springpositioned between a lower head of the post and a shoulder of thelocking pin; and a drive cable positioned radially outward of the secondspring and between the lower head and the shoulder.
 9. The seatingassembly of claim 8, wherein the anchor is coupled to a rail system thatdefines a track.
 10. The seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the drivecable is configured to selectively engage with the seating assembly suchthat the seating assembly is translated along the rail system.
 11. Theseating assembly of claim 10, wherein the drive cable engages with theseating assembly when the shoulder of the locking pin compresses thesecond spring and sandwiches the drive cable between the lower head ofthe post and the shoulder of the locking pin.
 12. The seating assemblyof claim 9, wherein the rail system comprises: a cable drive motorconfigured to impart motion to the drive cable; and one or more pulleyspositioned along the track.
 13. The seating assembly of claim 9, whereinthe rail system comprises: an inner rail; and an outer rail.
 14. Theseating assembly of claim 13, wherein the drive cable is generallyassociated with the outer rail of the rail system.
 15. A seatingassembly, comprising: an anchor having a post that surrounds a lockingpin, wherein the anchor engages with a rail system; a first springpositioned proximate an upper head of the post and configured to aid inactuating the locking pin; a second spring positioned between a lowerhead of the post and a shoulder of the locking pin; and a drive cablepositioned radially outward of the second spring, wherein the secondspring is compressed by a raising of the locking pin and the drive cableis sandwiched between the lower head and the shoulder such that theseating assembly is translated along the rail system.
 16. The seatingassembly of claim 15, wherein the rail system defines a track.
 17. Theseating assembly of claim 16, wherein the rail system comprises: a cabledrive motor configured to impart motion to the drive cable; and one ormore pulleys positioned along the track.
 18. The seating assembly ofclaim 17, wherein the one or more pulleys are positioned at directionaltransition points along the track.
 19. The seating assembly of claim 19,further comprising: drive cable guides positioned proximal to the one ormore pulleys to guide the drive cable from the track to the pulley andfrom the pulley back to the track.
 20. The seating assembly of claim 19,wherein the drive cable is generally associated with an outer rail ofthe rail system.